Israel strikes Tulkarem in Smaria; Russia hits Kyiv with ballistic missile

THE WAR NEWSLETTER — DEC 20 2024

Today’s email brings you news from Israel and Ukraine.

1 - ISRAEL

1 thing to know

Yesterday Israel struck a target in the Samaian city of Tulkarem, eliminating Tareq al-Doush, a key commander of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a terrorist organization.

The context 

Al-Doush was killed along with three other militants. Al-Doush, who had praised Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, led a network responsible for multiple shooting attacks against Israeli forces and was allegedly planning more attacks with support from Iran and Lebanese operatives.

More from the region

Earlier yesterday, Israel conducted extensive airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen after the Houthis, an Iran-backed terror group, launched a missile that struck a school in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. The school attack caused an estimated $11 million in damage but no injuries, as it occurred at night.

The Israeli strikes targeted ports, energy infrastructure, and tugboats across Yemen. Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that Israel was acting "for the entire world" in destroying Houthi threats to international shipping. 

The organization Human Rights Watch released a report accusing Israel of deliberately restricting water access in Gaza, claiming this has caused thousands of deaths. 

Israel strongly rejected these allegations as "propaganda," stating it has maintained continuous water flow and humanitarian aid despite Hamas attacks. Water has been a problem in Gaza before the current conflict as well. 

In the past, the Gazan terror organization Hamas has dug up Gaza’s water infrastructure and used the water pipes to manufacture rockets to fire at Israel.

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TECH SPOTLIGHT: M9 FLAMETHROWER

The M9 Flamethrower, developed by the US to replace the M2 Flamethrower that was used during World War II, is a man-portable flamethrower consisting of a backpack, hose, and gun group.

Improvements over the older M2 include a lighter redesign of the fuel tank and adjustments to the gun group. It has a range of up to 60 yards and burns 0.7 gallons of fuel per second.

The M9 was primarily intended for infantry units to clear enemy positions, such as bunkers and trenches. Because it was dangerous and difficult to operate for the user and also quickly ran out of fuel, it was eventually phased out and replaced with modern flame weapons.

What it’s used for

The M9 was widely used by U.S. and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam War to clear dense jungles, destroy enemy bunkers, and target Viet Cong tunnels. Its ability to project a stream of fire over long distances made it particularly effective for use in the dense, thick undergrowth of the Vietnamese terrain.

2 - UKRAINE

1 thing to know

Russia target the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in a ballistic missile attack in response to the use of US missiles against Russian targets.

The context

Air raid sirens were triggered in Kyiv today by the takeoff of a Russian fighter jet, followed shortly after by explosions throughout the city. Both Iskander-M and North Korean missiles were used in the attack, and several districts were struck, causing fires and damages to buildings and vehicles.

Only one casualty has been reported so far, but multiple people have been hospitalized after the strikes. All five of the Iskander missiles were reportedly shot down by Ukrainian Air defenses.

More from the region

The attack on Kyiv comes as the Russian response to a Ukrainian strike on a chemical plant on Rostov Oblast that caused a fire at a plant that produces ammunition and rocket fuel.

Russia claims to have shot down at least 10 of the missiles, which they claim were Western-provided ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles.

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